Author: Steven Sahiounie

Stocks on Wall Street hit record highs again on 16 January with the top S&P500 index crossing the key 3,300 level for the first time ever. The S&P500, the leading barometer on the New York Stock Exchange, was up 0.5 percent at 3,306 at 10:50 AM ET (15:50 GMT), after striking an all-time high at 3,308. The index, along with Wall Street’s two other major stock gauges, the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average, have rallied since Wednesday’s signing of the so-called Phase One deal between President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu. Aside from the purchase of US goods, China…

The Russian Defence Ministry’s Centre for Syrian Reconciliation on Thursday refuted reports alleging that Russian combat aircraft recently made airstrikes on civilian targets in Syria’s Idlib de-escalation zone. “Reports by a number of media outlets about strikes allegedly carried out by Russian combat aircraft on civilian targets in the Idlib de-escalation zone are false. Since the beginning of the ceasefire, the Russian Aerospace Forces have not conducted any sorties in the area”, Maj. Gen. Yuri Borenkov, the centre’s commander, said at the daily briefing. A new ceasefire regime was introduced in the Idlib de-escalation zone at midnight on 9 January. Western media…

Steven Sahiounie, political commentator Iran attacked US forces stationed at two bases in Iraq with 15 missiles on January 8th, but it does not appear missile defense systems were used to counter them. Eric Gomez, a missile defense policy analyst at the Cato Institute, said the next day, “And from the reporting I’ve seen about last night, it doesn’t appear that the US had a Patriot battery actually stationed at either of these bases.” The bases hit are Iraqi bases that house US troops, who have now been asked to leave Iraq by a parliament resolution.  Iraqi officials are deeply…

By Drago Bosnic The Medieval-like Wahhabi Kingdom of Saudi Arabia executed 184 people in 2019, the most in a calendar year in six years, human rights organization Reprieve reported, calling it a “grim milestone” for the country, known for its support of terrorism worldwide. Of the executions announced by the Saudi Press Agency last year, 88 were Saudi nationals, 90 were foreign nationals and six people were of unknown nationality, a statement released on Monday by the Reprieve human rights group said, Al-Jazeera reported. The group stated that 37 people were executed by the Saudi government on a single day on…

An informed Syrian source denied reports by Reuters that the Syrian-Russian-Turkish meeting in Moscow has discussed potential coordination against the presence of the Kurdish militants in northern Syria and the possibility of joint action against People’s Protection Units (YPG). The Syrian government continued to deploy its forces to the Syrian-Turkish border after the Kurdish militias had retreated from the areas. The over 90-kilometer deployment area straddles the northeastern towns of Ras al-Ein and Qamishli. Army units which started to deploy to the area of Tel Tamar in Hasaka northwestern countryside have entered the villages and towns of Doudan, Qasir Sharak,…

Warplanes of the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) carried out on January 15 a series of airstrikes on Idlib’s city center in the country’s northwestern region. Opposition activists said that the heavy airstrikes targeted the al-Hal market as well as the city’s industrial zone. Many headquarters and installations of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) are allegedly located there. Iba’a, HTS’ news network, released photos showing the aftermath of the airstrikes, which wiped out many vehicles and workshops. The SyAAF and the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) resumed their operations in Greater Idlib earlier in the morning after a brief ceasefire. HTS was the…

A woman and her two children were severely burned on January 15 when ISIS wives set fire to several tents in the al-Hawl Camp in northeast Syria. The camp hosts thousands of families of the terrorist group’s fighters. The Hawar News Agency (ANHA) revealed that the victim is a Turkish national. According to the agency, the attack was caused by a struggle within the camp between ISIS wives who maintained the group’s radical ideology, and others who are reforming their views. “The fire occurred at approximately 23:00 in the section of ISIS mercenaries’ families within the camp … Some women…

Israel Occupation said on Wednesday that Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired four rockets at southern Israel. Two were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, it said. There were no reports of injuries or damage, AP said. The rocket attacks from the Palestinian enclave were the first in nearly a month. They came amid international efforts to bolster an informal truce between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group. The two sides have been conducting indirect negotiations through Egyptian, UN and Qatari mediators aimed at easing an Israeli blockade of the territory in exchange for a halt…

Ankara wishes to discuss with Moscow the creation of a safe zone in the Idlib province of Syria, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters on Wednesday. Ankara wishes to discuss with Moscow the creation of a safe zone in the Idlib province of Syria, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters on Wednesday. “Approximately 600,000 refugees from Idlib have already approached our border, we are trying to help them. Idlib residents do not want to go to areas controlled by the government, and we are thinking of talking with Russia about creating a safe zone for them,” Akar said,…

The government of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who had been in the role since 2012, submitted its resignation hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed sweeping changes to the Constitution that would redistribute the powers between the president and parliament. In an abrupt move on Wednesday, Russia’s Prime Minister Medvedev announced that his entire government would resign. Medvedev’s cabinet will continue to work in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. Putin offered to name Medvedev as deputy chairman of the Security Council, an advisory body under the President in charge of strategic planning relating to national security affairs.…